HOLA FROM MEXICO (again)

How is that possible? We’ve been back in San Miguel de Allende for a full week. I’m working on the final polishing of Artful Dodgers: Fraud and Foolishness in the Art Market using the excellent comments of my writing hero John Nichols and in anticipation of receiving the comments from readers C. Boys, Melinda Ewell and Fred Smith. The last may not be free to read the manuscript right now because he is prosecuting what he calls the biggest case of his career. That must be enourmous because his list of prosecutions is long and impressive indeed.

I’m also writing some incredible stories that will hopefully astound and entertain readers of my next book Persistence of Enigma: The Salvador Dali Market. It will also be great fun in a couple of weeks to have Enrique Zepeda and his family visit us from Mexico City. Enrique and I always have so much Dali stuff to discuss. This year, I have prepared a special Dali present for him as well.

How wonderful it feels to be back among these small, sweet, quite people with so much laughter, good feelings and so many beautiful little children running everywhere, feeling safe and loved. Our weather started out beeing cool and overcast but is turning more and more to the sunnny days, warm nights and blue skies that we have so enjoyed in previous years. Now I’ll be able to read on my rooftop terrace outside my writing studio. Yesterday I went with an Audubon group out into the campo (countryside) and spent a couple of hours walking along a little river looking at birds and wandering over corn fields picking up ancient and modern pot shards and a rather nice awl made of white quartz. Aaahhh, YES!

You’ll remember that someone once said that the best revenge is to live well? It certainly works in my life and there’s no question that I know how to live well. I can sit out at night smoking a cigar with the great dome (second largest in Mexico) of the adjacent convent lit and glowing behind me. I can check on the position of Venus (setting early) Jupiter (catching up), Orion, Mars and Saturn and feel satisfaction and gratitude. I can also think about those who have made me their enemy and target and think about what pitiful little people they are in their hate-filled, myopic and valueless lives. I enjoy knowing I’m going to live longer, have more fun and share so much more love than they’ll ever experience.

In a couple of days I’ll tell you about a very fine book that will open up for you one of the most astounding art stories of the twentieth century.